I've just googled (free writing couses) and a load of on line couses came up. I don't know if they're any good never tried them.
I had the same problem when looking for a writers group in New Orleans. I think they are going out of fashion, and I think there are several reasons. Online forums like this are probably #1. Also, have you noticed people seem to be less social than they used to be? The other day, I actually saw a person being interviewed on TV, and she held a cell phone to her ear the entire time. And then is it just me, or do you find a lot of people in physical writers groups tend to be these loser-weirdo-types that you don't want to be around in the first place? I'm specifically referring to the last writers group I was in ten years ago. They can't write good poetry or fiction; they never will, and yet they find acceptance in the group. The longer they're in the group and doing volunteer work for it, bringing the cookies or acting as the treasurer, the more status they attain and that stands in for their utter lack of talent or potential. Or maybe I'm the one who's being anti-social now (Somebody bring me a cell phone--quick!).
The closest thing I've ever had was an email writing group, where every week we would take it in turns to pick a topic and all send each other our stories based on it. I think writers' groups are dying/dead because writers, very generally, are a quiet bunch, we keep to ourselves and don't often like the idea of putting our stuff out there - unless protected by the relative anonymity of an internet forum, or posting it to a faceless publisher who only becomes personally known to us after he says he likes our work. That said, it's a bit sad... with knitting groups, sewing groups, history societies and book groups et al still in favour in some places, maybe writing groups are set for a comeback...?
...i'm sure there are such things, but why would you want to waste time just talking about writing, instead of doing it!?
...mammamaia, for the same reason you'd join this forum... for feedback, collaboration, sympathy, empathy, feeling smug when you want it, and humbled when you need it. I've never 'wasted' time talking about writing, to anyone, real or on the internet... people are always interested to hear I write... and just the simple act of making forum replies is WRITING, and so I find my style and composing muscles are nicely exercised each day. However 'physical' writing clubs have the distinct advantage of being face to face with fellow writers, which the internet simply cannot provide. However, anonymity sometimes is very nice indeed, of course!
I agree with Noya it is so much better with a physical beta reader etc Also it gets you one in your local area which can be useful with language choices etc- I am in the process of starting a writing club. I am hoping to have a joint writing/speaking/book club to give writers the opportunity to be more comfortable to read, and promote their work as well. Hopefully get some people that just want to read as well I have a venue and now just need to put posters up, but am contemplating waiting until the better weather in spring.
I used to be in a writing club when I went to highschool, but it only lasted freshman year because the school felt it wasn't bringing in any "revanue". Perhaps writing clubs are going out of style (I personally hope not). I would check libraries and community centers, if they don't have them then maybe you could drop a suggestion to them. As for Edward's post, people ARE starting to pick up this complete anti-social kick. There's this one person I talk to (and we live real close to each other) the only way you can talk to him, is by logging onto myspace and chatting with him!!! He wont even really speak to you if you stop by his house, his nose is always in the computer. It's the same for my sister, we recently got accepted into college, and because she doesn't feel like dealing with the local bus system (I don't either but I'm taking it) she signed up for online classes so she wouldn't have to deal with other people. So yeah, people are really really becoming anti-social. I'll admit I don't get out much and I don't spend a lot of time talking, but once I get to know a person, or start to feel comfortable, I'll talk as much as anyone else. Anyways, back to the original posting. If you can't find any online writing clubs, maybe you should create one? I love to rp, but finding a site for it can be difficult, most of the ones I found had restrictions on your imagination. (x.x) So I created one (the one in my sugnature) and it's doing fine, though it's still small. But anyways, try creating one, who knows you might get some hits.
They do exist, there is a group that gathers at the bookstore I always go to but I could never ask to join them, way too shy. So I'm going to try and start one with a group of my friends that are also writers and maybe from there more people will join. Most of it is going to end up being by email though which is kinda sucky or through a online chat service because a lot of my writer friends have moved away! EDIT: If you wanted to be a part of the little writing group I'm starting (like we still need to set up like what day we're going to talk and such, so it's in the beginning stages) you can just private message me or something
that's not why i'm here and a member on two other writing sites, as my only motivation is to be helpful wherever i can... but i can see that new writers might find those reasons good ones for them to join, so your point is well taken... however, i'd still caution them to not let the 'club' experience take over and keep them from what it takes to be a successful writer... that is, to sit down all by yourself and write... hugs, m
There's that word again! Beta reader. I may be the minority on this one, but I just can't accept that phrase! I'm old-fashioned to a fault, so much that it annoys even me! But I'll always call someone who reads my work a proofreader. A beta reader just sounds too...electronic. But that's just me. I wouldn't say you're wrong at all. I've come across a lot of these kinds of people myself, and while I find them the most interesting, I also find that there's no middle ground with them: they're either geniuses, or people that can't swallow even the slightest criticism or rejection. The latter usually tend to show their work exclusively to friends and family, who praise it out the wahoo, and who also show up to public readings and open-mic events to praise it even louder in public. Good lord. The former just tend to stay to themselves, sad to say. My advice would be to potentially start this new writing club you got going on, then try to merge the two together. There's no point in conflicting writing groups, as most of them serve the same purpose in the first place.
Yeah I was toying with the idea of trying to find a local writing club but wasn't sure it it would be good or bad. I thnk there is one near me and I think it has a on online identity too. I think it would be good to actually speak to other writers may be a good way of making new friends too but I'm a bit scared that it will be full of people that are retired etc.
Really? That still sounds so funny to me to call someone a beta writer. Not because of what it describes, but from what it suggests. I'd feel the compelling need to tell the reader(s) that an alpha version of the story is on the way, followed with bug fixes later on, depending on feedback and bug reports. Man, I'm really old fashioned.
Yeah when I was writing scripts in another class we met with other classmates in a group everyday, talked about what we were writing, read it out to them to see what they thought, etc. It was a really awesome experience, and it's what I was seeking out when I found this place. Of course, upon getting here I realize the side-effect to using the internet to do this in a public place is that once it's written, it's "published" without actual publication. I understand that, but it's still a shame we can't talk too much about our projects because they endanger them. So I do really hope writers groups like this exist in the real world. I was told they do but I'm not really sure...
They do, but they're usually small, self-started groups by a couple of students or locals. They're tough to find. If you live nearby a school or college, I'd ask an English professor if they know of one or two that you'd be interested in joining. Or, if you can rouse enough enthusiasm in the task, start one yourself with a couple of friends or students.
We have a young authors club here; they meet at the library. We also have a writers' club at Univ of WA. Are you trying to find one online or in your town? If you're looking for an online one (besides this forum), there's absolutewrite.com, which has a pretty sizable writing & publishing community.
Yes, after all, look what happened to the Inklings in Oxford. If only that hadn't wasted all that time talking about writing and had actually got down to doing some then Charles Williams, C S Lewis and J R R Tolkein might not have faded into obscurity the way they ... oh, wait ...
lol think it works though because most authors I know these days meet their proof readers online. And that is what they are there for to help fix the bugs in my writing Precisely - talking produces ideas - thanks to having my own very special level of support on here I now have a story angle that works It is particularly useful I think for a fantasy writer.
Having a problem at the moment... and I thought writing the darn thing was hard enough... When does a novel (or anything) become good enough? When do you hit that point of just getting overfamiliar with the text that you're blinded to its real quality? I'm worried that with more and more editing I'll suck the soul out of the thing, all the spontaneity - familiarity breeds contempt, of course - and there's an overall sense that I've told the story as well as I can. I'm not experiencing the feeling of having a gorgeous polished jewel in my possession, more like a patchwork quilt, where I can see little mistakes patched over, my own personal journey, see parts and remember where I was when I wrote them - I know full well that it's not perfect, but it's got a lot of me in it. And I also get the sense that the story itself cannot improve, that I think I've reached the limits of where I am with this particular work - if I change anything to make it 'better', it will be a completely different animal. And I get the sense that it won't be 'better' if I change it, just 'different', maybe 'worse' because I'm a different person than when I started it - doesn't mean to say I've become a better writer. I think the story is a complete article now - I can go no further, only write something else. Does this all make sense to some of you?? I'm writing this mainly as the backstory to a question - is there anything I can do to give myself more faith in it? Because I'm worried I'm overthinking this, I don't want to keep polishing and being unhappy forever - I want to get it out there (published on Kindle). And as I said, I think this is as far as this story can go. I am proud of it completely, I will promote it to the ends of the earth, but I will always think it could be better, shinier, greater - like it is when I replay the scenes in my head. I'm thinking of swapping it with someone to get feedback - they read my thing, I read theirs, we both give advice. ...Should I just accept that it's as good as I can humanly achieve, shut off the overthinky, critical part of my brain, and push it out to the people??
Put it up for a few weeks without looking at it at all, then read it over one more time. Having that time gap will make you more refreshed and objective. Then let someone else read it, like a friend who's a fellow writer. Oh and congrats on being done!
Like Mallory says put it aside for one or two months - and work on something different (that is important). Then go back to it - for me it is good enough when I can no longer improve it within my own ability.
Thank you! It's one of the very, very few pieces of work I have actually finished... I will put it aside juuust after I fix these bits of dialogue... and that prophecy that needs to be rewritten... but then I want to do some little drawings to go with it, so while I'm doing all them I won't touch it.
I agree with giving it time; if you see problems though-fix them! And now is probably a good time to let another set of eyes read your story.
